(RS17) Mitigating Psychological Impact of Traumatic Events at Workplace Among AMO Through Debriefing Practice

Introduction:

Exposure to traumatic events in the form of harassment, aggression, litigation, medication error, mass disaster and life-threatening incident at workplace may lead to poor psychological wellbeing and burnout among healthcare workers. This study looked at the occurrence of debriefing session following traumatic events experienced by the AMO and its effect on their level of burnout.

Results:

1839 AMO responded to the questionnaire and 602 reported to have experienced traumatic event at workplace. Nearly half of the AMO with history of traumatic event (n=297, 47.4%) suffered from burnout. Only a quarter (n=154, 25.5 %) of the AMO received some form of debriefing and psychological support following the traumatic event. The result also showed that AMO who have been debriefed after traumatic event are 1.53 times less likely to experience burnout as compared to those who did not              receive any support. 

Discussion/Conclusion:

Debriefing session is imperative in mitigating the psychological impact of stress, anxiety, and fear among personnel involved in traumatic events. Left unattended, these symptoms may progress to burnout and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Support like counselling, peer support and debriefing training are measures that can be implemented for HCW experiencing traumatic events.